Be aware: this is only the goal of this diet, not necessarily its outcome. Results vary from person to person. Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any other) diet.
The provocation diet is also called the food provocation diet. Some diets refer to it as the ‘reintroduction phase’. A provocation diet is usually done after an elimination diet.
You can compare the provocation diet with other diets on the homepage.
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Never start a provocation diet just like that. Consult a doctor or dietician first.
A provocation diet is often used when symptoms indicate a food allergy. The diet is considered an important method for diagnosing such an allergy.
The idea of a provocation diet is that you consume a suspicious product in increasing quantities to see if there is a reaction.
A provocation diet can be done on its own, but is often done in combination with an elimination diet. In an elimination diet, one or more products are removed from the diet for a period of at least 2 weeks. The goal of such an elimination diet is to find out if the symptoms disappear when you stop consuming these products.
In case the elimination diet has reduced or totally eliminated the complaints, it can be decided to use a provocation diet to find out if one of the products is indeed the cause of the complaints.
You consume the suspected product in increasing amounts. You start, for instance, by putting a little bit of the product on the inside of your lip. If there is no reaction within half an hour, you can eat or drink a small amount.
The second day you can try a quarter portion of the product, the third day half a portion and the fourth day a full portion.
When carrying out the provocation test, the advice usually is to test a maximum of one product at a time. You can keep track of your results in a food diary and keep a record of how much of the product you consume, when and whether you have a reaction and what measures have been taken in response. In case of a reaction, the test should be stopped.
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The provocation test can be done open or blind and can be performed at home or in the hospital. How the provocation test is performed is determined by the treating professional (e.g. a doctor or dietician).
With a blind provocation test, you do not know which product will be tested. This is to prevent, for example, fear of a reaction from influencing the results.
When doing an open provocation diet both you and the accompanying professional know which product is being tested.
It is possible that your (allergic) reaction is (partly) caused by placebo effect. You can think, for instance, that a certain product is the cause of your symptoms and when consuming it you do get these symptoms, even though they are not actually caused by the product. You can test this with a placebo-controlled provocation test.
In a placebo-controlled provocation test, two meals are prepared for you (for example, 2 pancakes), with only one meal containing the product suspected of causing the symptoms. The meals are made in such a way that you will not notice the difference.
To prevent your doctor (or other professional supporter) from accidentally revealing which meal contains the product, he or she can decide not to know. This is a double-blind provocation test. The meal is prepared by someone who is not involved in the test. After the test is it revealed which meal contained the product.
If you have found a product that causes a reaction, you can continue to test whether the preparation, seasoning or manufacturing of the product has an influence. This will help you to better distinguish whether and when you can or cannot consume the product.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any) diet. Do not start a provocation diet just like that. This can be unsafe for you, for instance because you might have an allergic reaction.
There are no books available (yet) about the provocation diet alone, but there are several books written about the elimination diet, including 'Elimination diet' and 'The Elimination Diet'.
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The provocation diet is not directly comparable to other diets, but it has been incorporated into many other diets, for example the GAPS diet, the AIP diet and the RED diet.
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As you see fit
With the professional help of a dietitian it should be easier to reach your goals. Please contact a dietician in your area or talk to a doctor before starting any diet.
Please take note that most diets do not have a scientific basis.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting a diet, especially if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or kidney disease.
If you think you might have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia), it is important to look for professional help. Contact your (house) doctor or find help elsewhere. Here you can find a list of several websites that can provide (online) help. These sites also provide information for people that know someone with an eating disorder.